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What is effective coaching
and mentoring at work?
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Introduction
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Nine key principles for effective practice
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Coaching and mentoring: similarities and differences
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Coaching and mentoring: some approaches and frameworks
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Competence and professionalism
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Beyond competence: the wise coach or mentor
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Summary
Some client experiences
Jim:
I was rambling on about my inability to cope with a work challenge.
My coach said, ‘We’ve worked together for quite a while now and I
know that you are someone who can cope, actually, can do more than
that, someone who can rise to the occasion.’ I was stopped in my
tracks. Here was someone who truly believed in me, more than I could
believe in myself at that moment, someone who could see my
strengths when I couldn’t.
Eva:
What I have appreciated about you as my mentor has been your
professional acuity and care. It has sustained me in the middle of
change. I have always felt stronger having spoken to you. I have
known that while showing me kindness, you retain objectivity and
your keen eye is ever vigilant! Your generosity of spirit and action has
kept me afloat.
Alistair: As my coach, you’re the one person I can rely on to tell me the truth
about myself. You don’t beat about the bush. You say it how it is. But
I trust you to have my interests at heart. It has made me realize that
it’s OK to be straight with people, rather than bottling things up, and
it has changed the way I manage at work. It’s made a big improvement. I’m clearer with people and they with me, and the team is
much stronger.
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What is effective coaching and mentoring?
Sue:
5
I was talking about the future, as I often did, and my mentor suddenly
looked up and said, rather wistfully, ‘You know, I’m wondering when
you are going to get started on the future.’
Introduction
Our aim in writing this book is to capture the essence of coaching and mentoring, and to energize and equip the reader, whether as coach, mentor or client,
and whether coaching or mentoring formally or informally.
Many managers and professionals offer coaching and mentoring within
their organization or professional group. Even more of them use the skills
in leading and managing individuals and teams. In addition, there are an
increasing number of full-time coaches and mentors who are providing
coaching and mentoring to people at work. This book is addressed to all these
groups, and to those who are not yet actively involved in coaching and
mentoring. It is for those who want to find out more about what is effective
coaching and mentoring and who:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
are already coaching or mentoring;
are seeking coaching or mentoring;
want to become a coach or mentor;
use coaching or mentoring skills or approaches at work;
are participants on coaching or mentoring programmes or courses;
are in coaching or mentoring networks;
train or supervise coaches and mentors;
want to establish or review the provision of coaching and mentoring
in their organization or profession;
are engaged in leadership, management or professional development.
Terminology can be problematic and so in this book we generally use the
term ‘client’ to refer to the person with whom the coach or mentor is working.
We acknowledge that in real life they may be called, for example, mentee or
colleague.
There has been considerable debate in the literature about the differences
and similarities between coaching and mentoring. It is evident that what is
described in one organization as mentoring might be known in another as
coaching. Recently, with acknowledgement that use of the terms varies
widely, attention has turned to the common ground, and it is to this that our
book is addressed.
What is this kind of helping, this kind of learning, which is not teaching
or telling or advising or instructing? Whatever it is, it is certainly in demand,
and the number of coaching and mentoring articles, journals, special interest
groups and courses has risen, seemingly exponentially, in recent years.
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Box 1.1 A definition of coaching and mentoring
Coaching and mentoring are learning relationships which help people to take
charge of their own development, to release their potential and to achieve results
which they value.
We argue that a learning relationship is central to both coaching and
mentoring, which are more than just a set of activities or skills. Through the
relationship, the client develops and changes, as, indeed, does the coach or
mentor.
We see coaching and mentoring as complementary activities. Both help
people to take charge of their own development. The coaching or mentoring
relationship facilitates insight, learning and change. Through this relationship, potential is identified, possibilities become reality and tangible results are
delivered. Coaching and mentoring help a person to see the present as a
springboard to the future, and to be strategic about their own development.
Whether the person seeks help with a specific work issue of current concern, or
a longer-term career question, the coach or mentor will facilitate exploration,
help in the formulation of goals and provide support while action is
implemented.
Nine key principles for effective practice
Effective coaching and mentoring are underpinned by nine key principles
(summarized in Figure 1.1). These principles, derived from our experience,
have informed and guided our coaching and mentoring work. We introduce
them here. In subsequent chapters, they are explored in greater depth and
linked to case examples and interactive exercises.
1 The learning relationship is at the heart of change
The central principle is that learning and change occur through the relationship with a coach or mentor. Coaching and mentoring are not just an interaction, an event, an opportunity. Two people meet. They share knowledge,
values, attitudes, skills and experience. They engage with one another,
they relate to one another and if the coaching and mentoring is effective, they
connect with one another. Dialogue is important in establishing and maintaining the connection. In a learning dialogue there is, on both sides, a willingness to share perspectives, to listen, to understand, to be open to new
ideas and to take joint responsibility for the conversation and the outcomes.
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1
The LEARNING RELATIONSHIP is at the heart of change
2
The CONTEXT is work
3
The CLIENT sets the agenda and is resourceful
4
The COACH OR MENTOR facilitates LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
5
The OUTCOME is CHANGE
6
The FRAMEWORK for the change process provides movement and direction
7
The SKILLS develop insight, release potential and deliver results
8
The QUALITIES of the coach or mentor affirm, enable and sustain the client
9
ETHICAL PRACTICE safeguards and enhances coaching and mentoring
Figure 1.1 Nine key principles for effective practice
Dialogue sustains the connection and the relationship, and leads to learning
and change. It follows, therefore, that the learning relationship is a partnership, and not an activity imposed by one person on another.
2 The context is work
This book is about coaching and mentoring at work. The focus is on the
relationship with an individual client, although the principles apply also
to team coaching. The client may want or need to improve their work performance in the short term, or they may be concerned with broader issues of
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personal, professional and career development. Short- and long-term issues are
often interrelated. The effective coach or mentor values the client as a whole
person within their work context. The focus of coaching and mentoring is
the client’s present and future experiences, problems, opportunities and
development. The best results are produced when the focus is on developing
strengths and resources, rather than on remedying deficits.
The effective coach or mentor knows enough about the work context to
be able to facilitate exploration of issues and is aware that opportunities and
resources in the workplace differ from person to person. Because effective
coaching and mentoring release potential and deliver results, they can be
enabling for those who have experienced being marginalized or disadvantaged
at work.
Coaching and mentoring are not career patronage, neither are they
counselling or therapy. The effective coach or mentor agrees with the client
the boundaries of their coaching or mentoring work, and is aware of other
resources and networks beyond these boundaries.
3 The client sets the agenda and is resourceful
Centre stage in the learning relationship is the client and their agenda. Being
centre stage and being the focus of attention can be both challenging
and empowering for the client. Some clients are reluctant, some are eager.
Where a client is referred, there is an agenda with which the client may or
may not agree. Some clients have clear goals, some only vague ideas. In all
cases, the start point of the effective coach or mentor is to work with the
client to help them figure out what they want. This process, the first step
in facilitating the client’s learning and development, may be relatively
straightforward, or perhaps one of the most demanding parts of the coaching
and mentoring relationship. However, unless the client chooses to be a
partner in the learning relationship, and has a sense of purpose, the relationship cannot be successful.
Once the agenda is clear, the task of the coach or mentor is to help the
client to identify and use the resources, both internal and external, that will
enable them to change and develop. Affirming the client’s resourcefulness,
and communicating this affirmation to the client, is an important role. When
the client seems to lack energy or focus, or bright ideas or direction, or creative
alternatives, the coach or mentor can communicate hope and possibility,
and work with the client to make these real. A coach or mentor can enable a
client by believing in them at times when the client’s self-belief falters.
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4 The coach or mentor facilitates learning and development
The coach or mentor is a facilitator, not an instructor. They support and
challenge the client to learn and to develop. The client learns by acquiring
new awareness, insight, skills, ideas and knowledge. Development involves
integrating their learning into the way they are. It is more important that
a facilitator asks good questions than that they have ‘right’ answers. Good
questions provoke new perspectives and change in the client.
The effective facilitator reviews the learning relationship and the learning
process, and does not take these for granted. The client is asked about what
they are learning and how they are learning it, and what might help their
learning and development. The effective facilitator finds learning methods
that suit the client. They help the client to clarify how they learn best, and
how to make coaching or mentoring work for them.
Finally, the effective facilitator understands the importance of what
happens between sessions. They know that coaching and mentoring sessions
should be the catalyst for learning and action, not the substitute.
5 The outcome is change
Coaching and mentoring are about change. The client achieves something
that they care about, that makes a positive difference in their working life or
career. The real significance of change should be judged in relation to the
client agenda and their goal. A change in attitude for one client may be just as
important as a major job promotion for another. Insight and understanding
are important in coaching and mentoring in so far as they lead to change. Of
course, change is hard work. Change provokes resistance, a normal reaction
to facing up to difficult issues. Resistance can be viewed as a sign that the
coaching or mentoring dialogue is on track and that it is touching on important issues for the client. Effective coaches and mentors work with client
resistance, rather than try to overcome it. They use resistance to help the client
to clarify their values and their goals, and to explore what will help or hinder
them in making changes.
6 The framework for the change process provides movement
and direction
The coaching or mentoring journey is about change in relation to the client
agenda. The framework provides a map for the journey, for both client and
coach or mentor. It does not fully describe the landscape of the coaching
or mentoring journey, but rather it provides reference points and a sense of
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direction. It can help if either party gets stuck or loses direction. The coaching or mentoring framework should be used with a light touch, or even set
aside, if that is what would be most helpful for the client in their journey. It
should not be used to constrain or limit exploration of the landscape.
7 The skills develop insight, release potential and deliver results
The effective coach or mentor uses skills which bring to life the coaching
framework and enable the client to develop insight and release their potential.
The effective coach or mentor is competent, using the skills in an integrated
way within the learning relationship, not merely applying a set of competences. The skills communicate the coach or mentor belief in, and valuing
of, the client. Wise and judicious use of the skills ensures a balance of support
and challenge, of reflection and action. The effective coach or mentor has a
repertoire of tools and techniques which they offer appropriately to the client
to support their learning and development.
8 The qualities of the coach or mentor affirm, enable and sustain
the client
The distinctive style, personality and values of the coach or mentor are
prized by the client. This unique blend of attitudes, values, knowledge
and experience can be shared as ‘self’. Moreover, when the chemistry between
coach or mentor and client really works, there is a sense of deep connection.
The paradox of this connection is that it is not tangible and yet it is powerfully
present and effective in bringing about client self-belief, hope, courage and
action.
Effective coaches and mentors are not only smart, but also wise. They have
the wisdom to make sound judgements on what they see, hear, and experience
in the learning relationship. They communicate caring, valuing, respect and
empathy. They model a way of being which is both human and professional.
This is not deliberately ‘taught’ but is often ‘caught’. Learning is not just ‘from’
the coach or mentor, but also ‘with’ and ‘through’ them. It is this third type of
learning, ‘through the coach or mentor’ that is often overlooked. Yet it may be
the most powerful learning of all! The client who experiences affirmation and
positive challenge from a coach or mentor is likely to value themselves more.
The more a client values themselves, the more they value others. This then
impacts on both personal and professional relationships.
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9 Ethical practice safeguards and enhances coaching and mentoring
The client is safeguarded if ethical principles inform and guide practice. Such
principles might include: respect for client autonomy; faithfulness to promises
made; acting in ways which are beneficial to the client; not doing harm; and
acting fairly. When these principles are in operation there will be an openness
and transparency in the coaching and mentoring relationship. This not only
safeguards the interests of both parties, but also enhances the quality of their
work together. Effective coaching and mentoring start with clear expectations,
continue with a negotiated working agreement, include ongoing evaluation
and finish with well-prepared endings. Ethical coaching and mentoring are
informed by legal requirements and professional codes of practice. Working
within agreed limits and boundaries helps the client to feel secure, for example
in relation to issues of confidentiality or conflicts of interest.
Coaching and mentoring: similarities and differences
Our definition of coaching and mentoring is that:
both coaching and mentoring are learning relationships which
help people to take charge of their own development, to release their
potential and to achieve results which they value.
In this book, we view coaching and mentoring as complementary. Both activities help people to take charge of their own development. The coaching or
mentoring relationship facilitates insight, learning and change. Through this
relationship, potential is identified, possibilities become reality and tangible
results are delivered. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD) notes the many similarities between coaching and mentoring, not
least in the ‘one-to-one relationship that provides an opportunity for individuals to reflect, learn and develop’ (Jarvis 2004: 19). Both coach and mentor
want to improve performance and deliver results, but the coach may be more
hands-on in achieving specific skill development and change.
Some of the similarities between coaching and mentoring have been
identified by Zeus and Skiffington (2000) (see Figure 1.2). Both activities base
their assumptions on basic values and beliefs: that humans have the ability to
change; that they make the best choices available to them; that coaching is not
a quick fix: ‘it is a journey where the process of learning is as important as the
knowledge and skills gained’ (p. xv). Zeus and Skiffington talk about coaching
and mentoring as essentially a conversation where learning takes place
through asking the right questions rather than providing answers. This leads
to personal and professional transformation and reinventing oneself.
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Figure 1.2 Similarities between coaching and mentoring
Source: Zeus and Skiffington (2000: 18)
If coaching and mentoring have much in common, then what are the
differences?
Mentoring is often viewed as ‘off-line help by one person to another in
making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking’ (Megginson
et al. 2006: 4). The mentor may be someone more experienced or senior in the
organization or profession, and often their services are offered, and taken up,
voluntarily. Mentoring may be either short term or long term. It will usually
involve personal, professional and career development. The mentor may be
internal or external to the organization. Megginson et al. (2006) highlight
two contrasting models of mentoring: sponsorship versus developmental. In
sponsorship they note that the mentor actively champions the client with the
primary motive of career or professional success. In developmental mentoring
the mentor may be experienced but not necessarily more senior and the aim is
to facilitate learning rather than provide answers. Parsloe and Wray (2000: 82)
summarize mentoring as ‘a process which supports learning and development,
and thus performance improvements, either for an individual, team or business. Mentoring is usually understood as a special kind of relationship where
objectivity, credibility, honesty, trustworthiness and confidentiality are
critical’.
Within coaching the emphasis is changing. Experience is showing that
the positive approach of helping clients to ‘astound themselves’ is far more
beneficial than the type of managerial coaching which focused upon remedying performance deficits. Rogers (2004: 7) puts it this way: ‘The coach works
with clients to achieve speedy, increased and sustainable effectiveness in their
lives and careers through focused learning. The coach’s sole aim is to work
with the client to achieve all of the client’s potential – as defined by the client’.
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Table 1.1
13
Differences between coaching and mentoring
Mentoring
Coaching
Ongoing relationship that can last for a
long period of time
Relationship generally has a set duration
More informal and meetings can take place
as and when the mentee needs some
advice, guidance and support
Generally more structured in nature and
meetings are scheduled on a regular
basis
More long term and takes a broader view of
the person
Short term (sometimes time-bounded)
and focused on specific development
areas/issues
Mentor is usually more experienced and
qualified than the client. Often a senior
person in the organization who can pass on
knowledge, experience and open doors to
otherwise out-of-reach opportunities
Coaching is generally not performed on
the basis that the coach needs to have
direct experience of their client’s formal
occupational role, unless the coaching is
specific and skills-focused
Focus is on career and personal
development
Focus is generally on development/issues
at work
Agenda is set by the client, with the mentor
providing support and guidance to prepare
them for future roles
The agenda is focused on achieving
specific, immediate goals
Mentoring revolves more around
developing the mentee professionally
Coaching revolves more around specific
development areas/issues
Coaching is increasingly being used by organizations to promote a learning
culture, where leaders and managers are expected, as part of their role, to
coach their own staff, who in turn learn coaching skills so that they can coach
others. Coaching may be used as a tool for managing performance. Executive
coaching is often provided externally and may be linked with leadership and
management development programmes. The CIPD (Jarvis 2004: 19) has produced a useful summary of some differences between coaching and mentoring, as shown in Table 1.1.
We broadly agree with these distinctions although we are aware that, in
real life, ‘specific development issues’ (coaching) and ‘developing the client
professionally’ (mentoring) are often inextricably linked.
Several writers distinguish between the coach and mentor in terms of
short- and long-term goals: ‘A mentor is someone appointed or chosen to help
another with the achievement of their long-term goals and career rather than
immediate performance issues’ (Downey 2003: 202). Downey portrays the
effective coach as one who can turn potential into performance to achieve
fulfilment and satisfaction at work. But this ‘effective’ coaching is not necessarily instruction; it is more like facilitation. He argues for a ‘predominantly
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non-directive approach, an approach that evokes excellence, in which learning is intrinsic and satisfaction derives from the pursuit and achievement of
meaningful goals’ (p. 19).
Coaching and mentoring: some approaches
and frameworks
There are several different approaches and frameworks used in coaching and
mentoring. Most are useful with individuals and with teams. Some of these are
derived from psychological approaches to motivation, learning, goal-setting
and behaviour change. Those derived from Gestalt (Bluckert 2006), NLP
(Vickers and Bavister 2005) and cognitive-behavioural approaches (Neenan
and Dryden 2002) are examples of this. Some have developed from sports
psychology, particularly in relation to understanding behaviour and performance (Bandura 1969). Recent approaches emphasize two elements. Firstly,
the approach needs to be easily understood and used by busy leaders and
managers who are expected to be internal coaches and mentors in organizations. Secondly, the focus should be on the talents and resources of the
client and the possibilities in their work context, rather than on problems and
deficiencies. Here are some frameworks which reflect these emphases.
The GROW model
Whitmore (2002: 173) writes about coaching for performance. His emphasis
is GROWing people, performance and purpose. He argues that performance
coaching is based on context, skills and sequence. He unpacks this framework
thus:
•
•
•
Context: awareness and responsibility
Skills:
effective questioning; active listening
Sequence: Goals
What do you want?
Reality What is happening now?
Options What could you do?
Will
What will you do?
This is a straightforward model starting with eliciting client wants and expectations and assuming that the client can articulate a goal or goals for a specific
session or for several sessions. This is followed by reality checking, including
others perspectives and auditing resources available to the client, to achieve
the goal. This helps the client and coach to assess whether it is a workable goal.
Options for change and action are then considered and finally commitment to
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the goal is examined. Downey (2003) has a useful diagram of the GROW
model which includes an added first stage called ‘topic’, where the client says
what it is that they want to talk about.
The Skilled Helper
This model of helping (Egan 2006) has been adapted for coaching and mentoring. It is a solution-focused framework for the coaching and mentoring
process. There are three stages: What’s going on? What solutions make sense
for me? How do I get what I need and want? The aim is to help the client
to identify valued outcomes and then to decide how to make them happen.
The model is underpinned by core values of respect and genuine concern
for the client. Basic communication skills are used to offer a balance of
support and challenge throughout. The model is designed to be easily understood and used by the client, with the coach or mentor as facilitator of the
learning and change process. We describe this framework in more detail in
Chapter 4.
There are several features in common between Whitmore’s GROW model
and The Skilled Helper model (Egan 2006). Both approaches highlight the
important relationship between wanting and acting. Both focus on articulating specific goals for change. Both test commitment to the goal. However, the
differences are in the sequencing of events. In Egan’s approach, for example,
commitment is tested before options and action plans are drawn up. In both
models it is important for the coach to be flexible and not to follow the model
rigidly.
The Inner Game
Several writers on performance coaching and executive coaching base their
ideas on the ‘inner game’. Much of the thinking in performance coaching
originated from ideas that worked in sports coaching, including the difference
between the outer game of performance and the inner game of attitude and
psychology. Gallwey (2000) states that the outer game of improved performance will only be possible if there are changes in the inner game of thinking
and feeling. The power of positive thinking is at the heart of the inner game
approach. Downey (2003:11) explains further. The important concept is:
potential minus interference is equal to performance
He explains that what prevents performance is the interference that comes
between potential and achievement. He cites the following examples of
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interference that gets in the way and stops us focusing on the goal: fear,
lack of confidence, the ‘be perfect’ driver, anger, boredom and frustration. The
coach helps the client to identify interference and then to work with it to
minimize its impact. This leads to ‘relaxed concentration’ which in turn leads
to performance that flows. The relationship between this approach and sports
coaching is obvious. We all recognize that ‘flow’ in excellent performance,
whether it be tennis, playing the piano or producing an academic essay. This
approach benefits from psychological understandings in relation to motivation, reinforcement, cognitive-behavioural understanding, rational-emotive
behaviour and applied social psychology.
Non-directive approach
The non-directive approach has developed from research into the characteristics of effective helping relationships carried out in contexts such as health,
therapy and education. In this approach, the coach or mentor is viewed as a
facilitator of learning. The emphasis here is on providing the right conditions
to enable the client to become their own coach. The conditions for effective
facilitation are belief in the client and communication of genuine interest,
respect and empathy. Some non-directive coaches and mentors do not
use models and frameworks because they view these as not completely
‘client-centred’.
In contrast, Downey is one writer who discusses using a non-directive
approach with a model. He calls his approach non-directive coaching: ‘Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of
another’ (2003: 21). He advocates the non-directive approach in relation to
both the inner game and the GROW model. With regard to the GROW model
he suggests adding the letter T. One axis of the letter T signifies expanding and
one axis signifies focusing. He recommends the use of these two activities in
relation to the GROW sequence. Both expanding and focusing would be done
in a non-directive way. The method described next is another example of a
non-directive approach.
Co-Active coaching
An interesting model which is different from those above is co-active coaching. It is based on four cornerstones which the coach uses to inform practice,
rather than stages and steps to move through in sequence. This approach
emphasizes client fulfilment, balance and process, and the way these contribute to success in work and life, and does not focus solely on work performance.
The helping relationship is described as a designed alliance which requires
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listening, intuition, curiosity, action learning and self-management. The
approach is non-directive. These are the four cornerstones (Whitworth et al.
1998: 3):
1
2
3
4
The client is creative, resourceful and whole.
Co-active coaching addresses the client’s whole life.
The agenda comes from the client.
The relationship is a designed alliance.
When using this model the coach or mentor can focus all their attention
on listening to the client and moving in whatever direction the client wants,
rather than being distracted by having to check where they are in the prescribed steps or stages of other models. Experience and skill are needed to
‘freewheel’ in this way with the client.
Solution-focused coaching
This approach focuses on practicality and simplicity. It is positive and pragmatic (Jackson 2002). The methodology is based on: finding what works and
doing more of it; finding what doesn’t work and doing something different;
finding and using resources; building on successes; and ‘taking great care to
simplify issues as far as possible, but no further’ (www.thesolutionsfocus.com).
The website gives six SIMPLE principles:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Solutions – not problems.
In-between, not individual – the action is in the interaction.
Make use of what’s there – not what isn’t.
Possibilities – from past, present and future.
Language – simply said.
Every case is different – beware ill-fitting theory.
The website also gives six solutions tools:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Platform – where are we starting from?
Future perfect – what if the problem went away overnight?
Scaling – where are we now?
Counters – whatever helps us forward.
Affirm – what’s already going well?
Small actions – tiny steps that make the big difference.
Leaders and managers are finding this approach to be a straightforward
way of helping colleagues to change and develop. It moves beyond looking at
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problems in the present situation to a focus on solutions which are within
client resources.
Team coaching
While this book is primarily about the learning relationship between the
individual client and the coach or mentor, in team coaching the client is the
team. Team coaching is growing in popularity as a way of developing highperforming teams, which are often found to: have a high level of agreement
about their common purpose; work closely together; be ‘mutually accountable’; and value and respect individual differences (Katzenbach and Smith
1993). Team coaching helps to align individual, team and business goals.
Definitions of team coaching vary; however, many authors agree that
task performance and team development are both important components
of successful coaching. Therefore, a team coach might be expected to have an
understanding of group dynamics (Bion 1961), group development (Tuckman
1965) and team roles (Belbin 2003), as well as an awareness of organization
culture and its impact on team learning (Pokora and Briner 1999).
Team coaching may be used to: encourage more effective team-working in
an existing group; accelerate the development of a newly-formed group into
a working team; enhance the coaching skills of team leaders; and develop
cross-boundary teams which address organization-wide issues. Barden (2006:
6) outlines how team coaching may be useful with a team which already works
together:
a team may be coached when it is no longer aligned with its purpose.
That can occur when: the organisation has changed its focus and a key
team is having difficulty in following suit. The team leader has – perhaps
through individual coaching – become aware of the need for a new
purpose and the team needs to revisit its key elements. When the team
members are no longer acting towards a single purpose because of, for
example, conflicting interests or systemic imperatives.
In practice, the team coach will often work with one or more management
sponsors, as well as with the team, and may coach individual team members to
enhance their participation in the team. Executive coaches may start work
with an individual executive client and then be asked to coach the client’s
team. In this scenario, boundary issues and conflicts of interest need to be
clarified.
The skill of the team coach includes: firstly, aligning team outcomes and
achievements with business expectations and targets; secondly, maximizing
the distinctive contributions of individuals to ensure high performance of the
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team as a whole. Although team coaching can be cost-effective and rewarding,
it is not an easy option. It requires sensitivity, skill and adaptability on the part
of the team coach who manages a variety of individual and organizational
expectations and interests.
Competence and professionalism
This section will be of particular interest to those who are working full-time as
coaches or mentors and to those who may be considering purchasing coaching
or mentoring services.
Competence, capability and capacity
The effective coach or mentor not only possesses specific skills or competences, but is also reflective in their practice and aware of their ongoing
learning and development needs.
The term ‘competence’ refers to the ability to perform to recognized
standards. It implies successful performance against specific criteria: that, for
example, a coach or mentor is ‘fit for purpose’. While competence approaches
have become popular in recent years, questions about their limitations have
been raised, particularly in the context of management development. One of
the issues highlighted by Burgoyne is ‘whether performance can be divided
into competencies and then re-integrated’ (1990: 20), and the same question
may be asked about coach and mentor competences. The undoubted usefulness of competence frameworks in coaching and mentoring must be
weighed against the risks of reductionism through the adoption of a ‘tick box’
approach to professional competence. One way of addressing this concern is
to ensure that accreditation processes assess capability and capacity as well as
competences.
Fraser and Greenhalgh (2001: 799) note the focus on competence in
traditional approaches to education and training and assert that ‘in today’s
complex world we must educate not merely for competence but for capability
(the ability to adapt to change, generate new knowledge and continuously
improve performance)’. This is a challenge for coach and mentor training,
and accreditation. Robust training and accreditation procedures should
reflect not only competence at a given moment, but also capability, including
the individual’s willingness to monitor their own performance and development, and to be self-reflective. In addition to competences and capability
there is the importance of developing the capacity of each coach or mentor.
This will vary according to individual resources at any given time. Supervision and support, alongside continuing professional development, are the
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processes which enhance the ongoing capacity to learn, enabling the coach or
mentor to maintain professional effectiveness:
when competencies are assessed as observable behaviours or skills,
successful performance depends on the capacity and capability of that
coach or mentor to learn. This capacity develops continuously and so
good accreditation procedures will require that the coach or mentor is
not accredited on one occasion only, but that there will be evidence
of ongoing learning and development in order for accreditation of professional registration to be valid.
(Easterby-Smith et al. 1999: 150)
Competence frameworks
Some of the professional bodies concerned with coaching and mentoring
have developed competence frameworks, and examples are listed below. Our
nine key principles reflect these competences.
•
•
•
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has outlined four
clusters of core competences: setting the foundation; co-creating the
relationship; communicating effectively; facilitating learning and
results (www.coachfederation.org).
The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) highlights
eight areas of competence: process; domain-specific knowledge;
expertise and focus; professionalism and building a practice; values
and approach; communication; facilitating; and self. This list has
been taken from a report of the EMCC Competency Research Project
Phase Two Output, June 2005 (www.emccouncil.org).
The Employment National Training Organization (ENTO) is developing a new occupational standards framework for coaching and
mentoring. This will identify the key values and principles of practitioners, key purposes and key functions of coaching and mentoring
at work. It will provide a basis for vocational qualifications for
coaching and mentoring in the workplace and in the community
(www.ento.co.uk).
Accreditation
There is currently considerable interest in the accreditation of both coach
and mentor training programmes, and of individual coaches and mentors.
This reflects a concern that those hiring or receiving coaching and mentoring
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What is effective coaching and mentoring?
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services should know how to judge the competence and professionalism of
the individual coach or mentor. In the UK, the CIPD has produced guidance
(Jarvis 2004) for organizations wishing to develop coaching and mentoring
and wishing to know what to look for when hiring coaches or mentors.
Some professional organizations offer accreditation: either for individual
coaches and mentors, or for training programmes, or both. An example of
training accreditation is the EMCC UK Quality Award for coach and mentor
training, which has four award categories: Foundation; Intermediate;
Practitioner; and Master. An example of individual accreditation is the ICF
credentialing programme, with three designations: Associate Certified Coach;
Professional Certified Coach; and Master Certified Coach. There are website
addresses of some professional organizations in the Appendix.
Beyond competence: the wise coach or mentor
The wise coach or mentor is competent, but continuously strives to increase
the capacity to learn: about themselves; about their clients; and about the
organizations and contexts in which clients live and work. Every experience is
viewed as a learning opportunity and this ensures continuous incremental
improvement.
When we have experienced as clients the help of a ‘wise’ coach or mentor,
what has made the difference? For one of us, it was like this:
My mentor didn’t yet have any formal qualification, but he was just
a natural. So natural that I didn’t even notice his skills, but they were
certainly there. He wore his experience lightly, keeping himself in the
background. But he was himself, he showed me that he cared, he gave
me enough time to talk and think. He could be very challenging too,
but he seemed to consider carefully when to be like this, watching me
closely for my reactions. I was continually surprised at how well he
seemed to know me. He would know just when to push and just when
to hold back. I felt like I was moving along with my issues and targets
and he seemed to intuitively understand when to say something and
when to just stay quiet.
I wanted to learn from him. I chose him because he knew how my
organization worked and he knew the politics there. He shared his
own experiences with me so that I felt I was with a real person and not
just some ‘professional front’. He gave me time. That was a big thing. I
needed to make some changes at work, but wasn’t ready at first. He
never tried to move me too quickly into making those changes. There
were moments when something would click. I may have suddenly
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opened my eyes to something and we would share that eureka
moment together, he would be as pleased as I was! There were other
difficult moments when we seemed temporarily to be not connecting
and he would take his time, give me time, and then ask if I would like
to look at what was happening, together. This we would do and each
time, although difficult, it brought our relationship to a new level of
trust. The times when I sensed he had really understood, he didn’t
need to say anything, there was just a certain twinkle in his eye,
a smile, a quizzical expression and in that moment I knew he was
‘with’ me.
So, what is this wisdom? Competences are tangible, wisdom less so. Wisdom seems to be about discerning what is needed at any one time and using
sound judgement. To make such wise choices, the coach or mentor needs to be
able to tune into the client on several levels at once. Such sensitivity, combined with caring, seems to give a special quality to the relationship. People
talk about ‘connecting’, being ‘in tune with one another’, moving together
‘in harmony’. These expressions attempt to capture the essence of being with a
coach or mentor who is wise as well as competent, who trusts their instincts
and intuition as much as their knowledge and skills, who knows when to hold
back and do nothing, and when to move forward and actively engage, who
uses all their senses to communicate a real belief in the worth and capacity of
the client to achieve what they want and value.
Summary
In this chapter we have:
•
•
•
•
•
Explored the similarities and differences between coaching and
mentoring and reviewed how they are described in the literature.
Proposed a definition of coaching and mentoring as learning relationships which help people to take charge of their own development, to
release their potential and to achieve results which they value.
Explored nine key principles which underpin effective coaching and
mentoring.
Introduced several coaching and mentoring frameworks which focus
on developing client talents and resources.
Described some approaches to defining and assessing coach and
mentor effectiveness.
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